When You Say Not To Worry
by AimeeFlare16
Summary: When you say not to worry it just makes me worry more.


When You Say Not To Worry…

**A/N: This story was written as a secret Santa for S. Flame Eve. Happy holidays, Flame!**

Frostheart stretched and slowly climbed out of her mossy bed in the nursery. She knew she should really be staying in the nursery, since her kits were due to come any day now, but she just couldn't stand all of the sitting around and doing nothing. Besides, she was the only queen in the nursery, and she was terribly lonely. The TunderClan medicine cat, Snowpetal, came to visit a few times every day, but she missed the hustle and bustle of the camp and the fullness of the warriors den.

"Frostheart! Get back in the nursery right now!" cried her mate, Thornfall, from the other side of the clearing. When Frostheart didn't listen, he bounded over, tawny pelt glistening in the greenleaf sun.

"Don't worry," Frostheart murmured in her mate's ear. Thornfall, unconvinced, gave her shoulder a quick lick.

"You know what I say about when you say that…" he mewed.

"It just makes you worry more," Frostheart finished, rolling her blue eyes. "Well this time you really don't have to worry. I'm just getting something to eat. And maybe some company?" she added, giving her mate a hopeful look.

Thornfall shrugged. "If it makes you stay in the nursery…" He followed her across the clearing and watched carefully as she picked a large thrush from the well-stocked freshkill pile.

Before they could duck into the nursery, however, a loud cry of "Thornfall!" rang across the clearing. Thornfall sighed. "I have to go. Spiderstar needs me to lead a patrol. I'll come see you as soon as I get back, I promise. Make sure someone comes to find me if the kits come!"

"Don't worry about me," Frostheart pleaded. "Please."

Thornfall shook his head. "You're making me worry, Frostheart. Every time you say that it makes it worse. I'm worried something bad will happen to you and the kits. You know I'll never forgive myself if you – or the kits – get hurt and I'm not there. Every time you tell me not to worry, you just make me worry more."

Frostheart sighed, seeing it was no use. She waved her tail and said goodbye to her mate, then dragged the thrush the rest of the way to the nursery. Ducking into the den, she threw down the freshkill and groaned loudly. "It's just not fair!" she said to no one in particular. "I just want some company, but all they're worried about is if I stay in my nest!"

Truthfully, ThunderClan had had almost no kits for almost seven moons now. There were only two apprentices in the apprentice den, one of them almost ready to become a warrior and the other had only been an apprentice for less than a moon. There had been a litter of kits born last moon, but all but one was stillborn. The one survivor, Flowerkit, died three days later. So the Clan did have a reason to worry, but Frostheart was perfectly healthy. She was convinced she could do nothing to hurt the kits that were so close to being born.

The entrance to the den rustled. Frostheart's head shot up. "Thornfall?" she said hopefully. Maybe Spiderstar had realized that Thornfall was needed for something other than his warrior duties and had sent him back… Spiderstar and Frostheart had always been close friends…

A small black face appeared in the doorway, soon followed by the rest of the cat. "Oh, its just you, Nightpaw," Frostheart mewed, disappointment clear in her voice.

"Is it a bad time? I could come back later…" Nightpaw said, starting to leave the den.

"No! I mean… no, it's not a bad time. I was just hoping Thornfall would come to give me some company, is all," she mewed.

"I just came to change the bedding… but I don't think Stormspray needs me anymore today, so I could keep you company, if you'd like," answered Nightpaw.

"I don't want to…" Frostheart started to say, but was cut off.

"No, really. It's no trouble at all. It's what I want to do," Nightpaw said quickly. Too quickly.

Frostheart sighed, realizing why Nightpaw had really been sent. He had been sent to keep her company. So they did care…

Two days later

"Help! Someone get Snowpetal! The kits are coming!" yowled Thornfall.

Frostheart purred. "Relax. It was just a –" she was cut off as pain ran through her body. Thornfall jumped up and ran, almost slamming into Snowpetal.

"Oh," he mewed sheepishly. "I was just going to get you."

Snowpetal pushed past him, followed closely by her apprentice, Cinderwish. Cinderwish gave Thornfall an apologetic look before scurrying to her mentor's side.

"Can I help?" asked Thornfall.

"Get a short, thick stick. And then get out of the den," Snowpetal answered sharply.

Thornfall raced out of the den to get the stick. He returned clutching a stick in his jaws. "Will this work?"

"Sure. Now leave us alone!" Snowpetal snapped.

"Sorry, she's –" Cinderwish started to say, but was cut off by a sharp look from Snowpetal.

Thornfall gave the two medicine cats an annoyed look, but left.

"I'll be fine," Frostheart panted after him. "Don't worry about me," she added. Then she let out a sharp yowl of pain, squeezing her eyes shut and biting down hard on the stick.

"Frostheart! Stop telling me not to worry. Especially at times when I obviously should be worrying," Thornfall said. He started to come back into the den, only to be shoved out by Cinderwish.

"Trust me, it's better if you just listen to her," she muttered.

Thornfall grumbled, leaving the den. The moment he left, he was crowded with cats.

"Is she ok?" asked Spiderstar. "Are the kits alright?"

Thornfall shrugged. "They won't let me stay in the den."

At that moment, Frostheart released a second yowl of pain, louder than the first. Everyone was silent for a moment, then Snowpetal spoke from inside the den. "It's a she-kit!"

The crowd of cats cheered loudly, drowning out Frostheart's third yowl.

"And… two toms!" called Snowpetal.

Thornfall couldn't take it anymore. He ducked back into the den. "Can I see them?" he asked.

"You can help. Lick his fur the wrong way," Cinderwish mewed, passing one of the toms over.

Thornfall did as asked. The big brown kit opened his tiny jaws and gave a plaintive mew, right in his father's face. Snowpetal's harsh expression softened slightly at the sound. "Put him next to his sister," she said.

Frostheart lifted her head when she felt the three kits began to suckle. The exhaustion in her eyes disappeared the moment she laid eyes on them. "You have to name them," Spiderstar murmured as she poked her head into the den.

"Flowerkit," Frostheart mewed, nosing the little gray she-kit. Spiderstar's eyes widened as she recognized the name, but she said nothing.

"What about Acornkit for him?" suggested Thornfall, poking the brown tom lightly with his paw.

Frostheart nodded, then looked at the tiny white tom. "Icykit," she purred.

The two medicine cats and clan leader looked at the three kits before finally filing out of the den, leaving Thornfall and Frostheart alone with their kits.

Frostheart looked up at her mate. "Thornfall?" she mewed. "I'm scared. What if I'm not a good mother?"

Thornfall gave his mate a gentle look. "You'll be a perfect mother," he purred. "Don't worry about it."

"When you say not to worry it just makes me worry more," Frostheart teased.


End file.
